by Capt. Dallas Hopper
Another year has come and gone! Last year sure went quickly but it was definitely memorable, looking forward to what the coming year has in store for us.
The wintertime wahoo bite has been red hot and can only get better with each coldfront that makes its way down to the Keys Trolling rigged ballyhoo early in the morning and late in the evening has been productive but slow trolling live speedos whenever we can find them is by far the most exciting way to target wahoo and large kingfish. These baits often don’t last long when slow trolled behind the boat, frequently resulting in explosive bites.
With the turn of the new year we’re starting to make the transition into kite fishing. We like to fly a mix of baitfish such as goggleye, threadfin herring, pilchards and blue runners to name a few. By fishing livies out of the kit we’re targeting sailfish, mahi, tuna, kingfish and even the occasional wahoo. Fishing four to six baits on the surface and even bottom and mid-depth rods, we can cover a wide range of depths and species.
The snapper bite shows no signs of slowing down. From anchoring down on the reef to drifting around with a bottom bait down the mutton, mangrove and yellowtail snapper have been regular guests to the dinner table.
If you’re looking to take on Jaws Jr., we have been catching and releasing quite a few sharks in the shallow water. Soaking bait on the bottom around patch reefs has been producing blacktips, lemons, reef sharks and nurse sharks. Although they often get a bad rap for eating prized dinner fish when being reeled in, sharks are a blast to catch on 30lb spin tackle.
There’s no better way to kick off the new year than going fishing. Whether you are new to fishing or a veteran angler or even wanting to het your family out on the water, give us a call, we’ll get you in the middle of the action.
Capt. Dallas Hopper
Fantastic II Charters “guaranteed fish”
305-451-2890 • www.charterkeylargo.com